President Vladimir Putin expressed his fear of NATO expansion close to his territory and said he would not rule out a military response if he felt threatened by the alliance. Amid the tension, leaders of Germany and France have spoken with the Russian president while representatives of the US government do not rule out establishing talks with Moscow in January.
In front of military officials, Putin held the West responsible for the increase in tensions and questioned Europe for having, in his opinion, incorrectly evaluated the outcome of the cold war.
“Why did they expand NATO and give up the missile defense treaties? They are to blame for what is happening now,” Putin said.
Совещание с постоянными членами Совета Безопасности: проект Основ государственной политики Совета Безопасности: проект Основ государственной политики Совета безопасности https://t.co/k39SWUgnNb
– Президент России (@KremlinRussia) December 21, 2021
Fears about a possible invasion of the Russian forces into Ukraine have increased in recent weeks after Russia has accumulated a significant number of military personnel on the border with its southwestern neighbor. In this sense, Putin has reiterated his request for guarantees to the United States and its allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that the Alliance will not expand eastward.
On December 17, Russia revealed the content of the draft security agreement in which, among other things, it opposes the entry of Ukraine and other ex-Soviet countries to the Alliance while calling for the rollback of the deployment of troops and weapons. in central and eastern Europe.
Putin: “Do you think we will just watch idly?”
Putin, in his speech on December 21, again criticized the expansion of NATO since the fall of the Soviet Union and held the West responsible for turning Ukraine against Russia.
“What the United States is doing in Ukraine is at our doorstep (…) And they must understand that we have nowhere else to retreat. Under the protection (of the United States) they are arming and urging extremists from a country neighboring Russia. Against Crimea, for example, do you think we will just watch idly? “Putin added.
Putin was emphatic that he would not hesitate to respond militarily if Russia feels threatened by the NATO advance. “If our Western counterparts continue a clearly aggressive line, we will undertake proportionate military-technical countermeasures and respond firmly to hostile steps. I would like to emphasize that we have every right to do so,” Putin said in his remarks.
The tension between Ukraine and Russia has increased since 2014, after a revolution in the country installed a pro-Western government on Ukrainian territory, a situation that was exacerbated when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula to its territory.
France and Germany are closely monitoring the development of the situation
France and Germany, two allies of the United States in NATO, are following the situation between Russia and Ukraine with concern, an issue that was addressed during the last summit of the European Union in Brussels and where possible sanctions against Russia were left on the table. if it invades Ukraine.
In this sense, on December 21, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, spoke with his Russian counterpart through a telephone call in which, among other topics, there was an analysis of the security guarantee proposals presented by Russia.
For his part, the new German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, expressed to Putin his concern about the escalation in Russian-Ukrainian tension and the deployment of troops from both countries along the border.
“The German Chancellor expressed concern about the situation and spoke about the urgent need for a reduction in tension,” the German Chancellor’s spokesman said in a statement.
Bilateral US – Russia channel could be established in January
For her part, the United States Undersecretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Karen Donfried, reported on December 21 that the establishment of a bilateral channel, in which security guarantees in the European region are discussed, is expected. for the month of January 2022.
“The United States is prepared to participate diplomatically through multiple channels,” Donfried said, while noting that “there will be no talks on European security without Europe.”
However, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated that there are currently no plans for an in-person meeting between President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
“I think we have to see if, in the first instance, there is any diplomatic progress … We also want to see Russia reduce the escalation, push back the forces on the border with Ukraine, end the tension,” Blinken said.
In the midst of the situation, an official from the Joe Biden Administration, quoted by the Reuters news agency, indicated that his country would be considering export control measures that could affect strips of industrial and consumer technologies in Russia, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In the midst of all the crisis, the President of Ukraine, Volodímir Zelenski, indicated that he hopes for the NATO summit, to be held in June 2022 in Madrid, that his country receives a concrete roadmap for joining the Alliance.
“For us the most important thing is to participate in one way or another and also that there is a concrete project, a concrete income perspective,” said Zelenski.
With EFE, Reuters and AP
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